Departed

Jesus and His disciples

Departed for the other side

To the Gadarenes

For a divine appointment was in store

Two demon-possessed men

So wild and violent, no one dared to pass by

They lived among the tombs

The spiritually dead among the physically dead

When they saw Him

They knew, it was God incarnate

The Son of God stood before them

The One Whom they had rebelled against in eternity past

They knew their day was coming

For torment and eternal punishment

They cried, “What have we to do with You, Jesus”

They begged Him, “Cast us into the herd of swine”

He commanded, “Be gone!”

The demons obeyed, departed and entered the swine

At breakneck speed they hurled themselves

Over a cliff, headlong into the sea and drown

Quickly the herdsmen departed

Made their way into the city

They declared all that had happened

Including a tale about tormented men set free

The townsmen made their way to Jesus

They witnessed for themselves

Two formerly demon-possessed men

Now clothed and in their right minds

They were overcome

With great fear

Urgently pleaded with Jesus

Depart from here

Before Jesus departed

One man begged to come with Him

“No,” He responded, “Depart”

“Proclaim to all you encounter what God has done for you.”

by Susan Wachtel

November 3, 2015